The year’s second quarter looks like a monster for fans of psychedelic/1960s music. Dig into supercharged reissues of key recordings from the Grateful Dead, Blind Faith, Procol Harum and King Crimson.
Other key product in Q2 comes from Traffic, Todd Rundgren’s Utopia, the Residents, Gong, Tangerine Dream and Jimi Hendrix.
Also: Check out the psychedelics on tap for Record Store Day 2019.
Grateful Dead: Pronounce it “ox-oh-mox-oh-ah.” The Dead’s third album gets the 50th anniversary treatment come June 7, following up on the deluxe revival of “Anthem of the Sun.” Like “Anthem,” “Aoxomoxoa” returns with two versions of the album — one fully remastered from the original 1969 mix and the other from the 1971 band mix. A bonus disc has live tracks from the Jan. 24-26, 1969, shows at the Avalon Ballroom. Key and classic songs on the studio album include “St. Stephen,” “China Cat Sunflower” and “Mountains on the Moon.” Live tracks include “New Potato Caboose” and “Dupree’s Diamond Blues.” Album was lyricist Robert Hunter’s coming-out party. Grateful Dead/Warner.
Blind Faith: Classic rock album meets classic audiophile technique as Universal unveils a half-speed mastered version of the self-titled debut. The vinyl recording drops April 19. It was cut at half speed by Miles Showell of Abbey Road studio. UMe vows “a sound quality superior to anything else currently available” of the often-rereleased album, the only one made by the group consisting of Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech. (Showell handled UMC’s recent reissues of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s catalog.) The six tracks come packaged with the controversial cover of a topless preteen. With obi and digital download.
Procol Harum: Three-CD revival of the 1971 studio classic “Broken Barricades.” Three dozen bonus tracks, many taken from a trio of Procol Haru radio appearances in 1971. Alternate studio versions of “Power Failure” and “Memorial Drive.” Remastered album includes Robin Trower’s elegiac psychedelic epic “Song for a Dreamer,” a tribute to the recently deceased Jimi Hendrix. Booklet features with commentary from Gary Brooker, Trower and Keith Reid. Via Esoteric Recordings, May 31.
King Crimson: The 50th anniversary deluge continues. “Heaven & Earth” is the seventh box set in a series covering the prog princes’ journey from 1969 on. Material in the box set ranges from December 1997 to August 2008. Included is the remake “The ReconstruKction Of Light” (new mix, new drums) — “the most radical change of all KC albums thus far”; an extended “The Power to Believe” with “sonic seasonings”; and the studio “Happy With What You Have to Be Happy With” and live “Level 5” mini-albums. “Numerous ProjeKcts” and surround mixes. Eight CDs, four Blu-Rays and two DVD-A’s. May 31 via DGM. Main elements of the box set also available separately.
More King Crimson: “Live in Newcastle, December 8, 1972” comes from a staffer’s cassette and features much of what would be recorded as “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic.” Single CD. Available April 26. “Three of a Perfect Pair” and “Beat” both return on 200 gram vinyl April 26, using 30th anniversary mix. The vinyl box set “King Crimson 1972-1974” offers “Larks’ Tongues,” “Starless and Bible Black” and “Red” in their 40th anniversary mixes (Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp) along with LPs of an alternate “Larks’ Tongues” and an expanded “USA.” Availability in “April.”
Traffic: “The Studio Albums 1967-1974” comes to market May 17. Six LPs, but not “Last Exit,” which was half live and apparently didn’t qualify. Grrr. Stretches from “Mr. Fantasy” to the last-gasp “When the Eagle Flies.” Universal Music says the albums are “remastered from the original tapes and presented in their original and highly collectable ‘first’ Island pressing form.” No CD version, but see the import five-CD set of early 2018.
Todd Rundgren’s Utopia: The classic lineup of Utopia reunited for tour in 2018, less Roger Powell and plus ace keyboardist Gil Assayas. The results were stunning — the first set a return to the band’s prog/psychedelic roots; the second a revival of the early ’80s power pop and rock anthems. Cleopatra Entertainment captures the swirling show via “Live at the Chicago Theater” on four discs — Bluray, DVD and CDs. There’s also a vinyl version with the first set (Purple Pyramid label on April 19). Key tracks include “Utopia Theme,” “Another Life,” “Overture: Communion With the Sun,” “Road to Utopia” and “One World.” April 5.
Gong: Long live the “vanguards of 21st-century psychedelia.” 2019 recording of “The Universe Also Collapses” is described as “a transitional album in the evolution of Gong and an opportunity to say goodbye to the great Daevid Allen.” Settle in for the 20-minute track “Forever Reoccurring.” On pink and regular vinyl and CD. Kscope, May 10. Also: “Flying Teapot” on CD, Charly Records, just out.
Pink Floyd: The 25th anniversary of “The Division Bell” will be marked with a double-LP vinyl edition in June. Uses the 20th anniversary remastering and is presented on translucent blue platters. The penultimate studio album came from the remainer trio of David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright. Out June 7 via Legacy.
The Residents: Fans can reconstruct the ambient work “Eskimo” with the release of this unusual collection of “the album’s constituent parts.” More than 70 “individual musical elements, chants, loops and sound effects.” Includes one-hour CD of Arctic wind backgrounds. Album purports to study native culture, but reveals itself as a strange and goofy satire. The 40th anniversary “Eskimo Deconstructed” comes in a double LP, one CD set. Follows up on January’s pREServed edition of “Eskimo.” Via Cherry Red, May 31.
Tangerine Dream: “The Official Bootleg Series Volume 3” comes from Detroit (1977) and Sydney (1982). “Extensive use of electric guitar” by Edgar Froese in the U.S. gig. Four CDs with booklet “from the best available sources.” Via Reactive label, May 31. Also: A CD repress of the 1986 album “Underwater Sunlight” (Esoteric, April 5).
The Moody Blues’ “Live at the BBC: 1967-1970” returns on three slabs of colored vinyl. With 41 live performances, featuring key tracks from their classic run of psychedelic albums. Includes “Nights in White Satin,” “Dr. Livingstone, I Presume,” “Lovely to See You” and “Are You Sitting Comfortably.” Hip-O Records, April 26.
Jimi Hendrix Experience: The Ultra High Quality Record (UHQR) version of “Axis: Bold As Love” now lists April as a shipping time frame. Open your wallet ($100); don’t wait until tomorrow as a sellout is expected. Mastered by Bernie Grundman. Stereo and mono versions. Analogue Productions. Note: The “Are You Experienced” SACD carries over as “coming soon.”
Cream: “Best Of” is back on vinyl, with “faithfully reproduced original LP artwork.” Songs recorded from 1966 to 1968. Dorm-room fave was released shortly after the power trio disbanded. Key tracks include “Badge,” “I Feel Free” and “Tales of Brave Ulysses.” Sorry, no jams. Via Polydor, “April.”
The Yardbirds’ “Live and Rare” sprawls across five discs, covering the band’s career from “rave up” club act to psychedelic pioneers. Four CDs of audio and one DVD with various European TV appearances. More than 20 BBC off-air recordings. Most of the audio material previously released, including the “hits.” Most of the videos unreleased. Just out on Repertoire.
Jeff Beck: “Blow by Blow” began the ex-Yardbirds guitarist’s long solo run in the fusion realm. Produced by George Martin, with nine instrumental tracks. On “translucent gold vinyl.” Includes “She’s a Woman.” Friday Music, out May 31.
Frank Zappa: “Live in New York” packs in five CDs. Includes the original mix of the live album, plus three hours of performances from the 1976 NYC Palladium run. Key tracks include “America Drinks,” “I’m the Slime,” “Peaches En Regalia” and “Punky’s Whips.” Also three-LP version with one disc of bonus tracks. Just out on Zappa Records.
Weather Report: “Live in Tokyo” began life as a Japan-only release, although three tracks were trimmed for “I Sing the Body Electric.” Hear the real deal on a double LP from Sony. Recorded in January 1972. Previously released on vinyl in the U.S. by Friday Music, but this “Speakers Corner LP was remastered using pure analogue components only, from the master tapes through to the cutting head.” Your band includes the Weather Report founding fathers of Josef Zawinul, Wayne Shorter and Miroslav Vitouš.
Also of interest:
The Soft Machine’s “Two” on vinyl (Sundazed, April 12); the Byrds’ “Live at Royal Albert Hall 1971” on double vinyl (Sundazed, April 12); the Monkees’ “Greatest Hits” on orange or transluscent vinyl (Friday Music, May 17); Mahavishnu Orchestra’s “Birds of Fire” on vinyl (Speakers Corner, “April”); Van Der Graaf Generator’s debut “The Aerosol Grey Machine” in a box set with CDs and vinyl (Esoteric Recordings, April 26); Web’s “I Spider” on vinyl (Esoteric, April 12); Renaissance’s “Live at Carnegie Hall” 1976 on three CDs (Esoteric, May 31); Sigur Rós’s “Ágætis byrjun” in a 20th anniversary boxset and LP (June 21); and Bernard Hermann’s “Marne” soundtrack on double “scarlet” vinyl (Stylotone, April 26).
Note: Release dates for vinyl and SACD titles remain fluid until they actually ship. This record roundup will be updated through the quarter. SACDs are all hybrids unless specified otherwise; they’ll work on a CD player not offering advanced resolution.